Door catch

ABSTRACT

A catch for use on a cabinet door as a temporary catch to secure the door against heavy vibration comprising a striker and a socket which is adapted to receive the striker but which can be rendered inoperative by rotating the striker into an inoperative position relative to the socket. The striker comprises a base which can be mounted on a support and a pair of oppositely outwardly facing side surfaces of equal length and each formed with a shoulder. Preferably the side surfaces of the striker are convexly curved. The socket comprises a base adapted to be mounted on a support and has two upstanding resilient walls arranged generally in parallel and each formed with an inwardly projecting rib which is spaced from the socket base. The distance between the shoulders of the striker is greater than the distance between the ribs of the socket but less than the distance between the walls of the socket and the length of the side surfaces of the striker is substantially less than the distance between the ribs of the socket. When the striker is oriented with its side surfaces at right angles to the ribs of the socket the striker can pass freely between the ribs of the socket so that the catch is inoperative. When the striker is aligned with its side surfaces in parallel with the walls of the socket it is a force fit between the walls of the socket and is retained in the socket by engagement of the shoulders of the striker behind the ribs of the socket.

United States Patent 11 1 Seckerson, deceased et al.

1 1 Apr. 23, 1974 DOOR CATCH [75] Inventors: Clifford AlexanderSeckerson,

deceased, late of lver Heath, England; by Teresa Agnes Seckerson, IverHeath; Michael Alexander Seckerson, Maidenhead, both of England legalrepresentatives; Barry Roger Michael Barnett, West Drayton, England [73]Assignee: TRW Inc., Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: July 5, 1972 [21] Appl.No.: 269,011

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data fi m rx sv' 'fi izliish d E; eAttorney, Agent, or FirmJames R. OConnor Hall & Houghton [5 7 ABSTRACT Acatch for use on a cabinet door as a temporary catch to secure the dooragainst heavy vibration comprising a striker and a socket which isadapted to receive the striker but which can be rendered inoperative byrotating the striker into an inoperative position relative to thesocket. The striker comprises a base which can be mounted on a supportand a pair of oppositely outwardly facing side surfaces of equal lengthand each formed with a shoulder. Preferably the side surfaces of thestriker are convexly curved. The socket comprises a base adapted to bemounted on a support and has two upstanding resilient walls arrangedgenerally in parallel and each formed with an inwardly projecting ribwhich is spaced from the socket base. The distance between the shouldersof the striker is greater than the distance between the ribs of thesocket but less than the distance between the walls of the socket andthe length of the side surfaces of the striker is substantially lessthan the distance between the ribs of the socket. When the striker isoriented with its side surfaces at right angles to the ribs of thesocket the striker can pass freely between the ribs of the socket sothat the catch is inoperative. When the striker is aligned with its sidesurfaces in parallel with the walls of the socket it is a force fitbetween the walls of the socket and is retained in the socket byengagement of the shoulders of the striker behind the ribs of thesocket.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures DOOR CATCH BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Thepresent invention relates to a catch comprising a striker and a socketwhich is particularly suitable for use as a door catch to prevent thedoor of an article such as a cabinet accidentally opening for instancewhen the cabinet is subjected to abnormal vibration during transport.

When cabinets, such as refrigerators are transported or alternativelywhen they are installed permanently in caravans or trailers and thecaravan is itself being transported, there 'is a considerable risk thatthe door will fly open under the heavy vibration which is normal when avehicle is moving. When the cabinet or similar article is in transit itis sometimes bolted to the floor of the vehicle but even so the normalhandle operated catch of the type used on refrigerators is liable tojump open under heavy vibration.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a catch which issuitable for use in locking the door of a cabinet as a refrigerator inthe closed position temporarily during transport of the refrigerator orduring movement of the caravan or trailer in which the refrigerator isinstalled.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION In its broadest aspect, the present inventionis concerned with a catch comprising a striker and a socket adapted toreceive the striker, the socket and striker being so shaped and arrangedthat in one position of the striker relative to the socket it can enterthe socket freely without interference and in another position of thestriker relative to the socket it is a snap engaging fit within thesocket.

More particularly, the present invention provides a catch comprising astriker and a socket adapted to receive the striker, the strikercomprising a base adapted to be mounted on a support, a pair ofoppositely, outwardly facing side surfaces of equal length and eachformed with a shoulder, the socket comprising a base adapted to bemounted on a support and two upstanding resilient walls arrangedgenerally in parallel and each formed with an inwardly projecting ribthereon which is spaced from the socket base, wherein the distancebetween the shoulders of the striker is greater than the distancebetween the ribs of the socket but less than the distance between thewalls of the socket and the length of the side surfaces of the strikeris substantially less than the distance between the ribs of the socketwhereby the striker can pass freely between the ribs of the socket whenthe side surfaces of the striker are aligned generally at right anglesto the walls of the socket and whereby the striker is a force fitbetween the walls of the socket when the side surfaces of the strikerare aligned generally in parallel with the walls of the socket and whenforced therebetween is retained therein by engagement of the shouldersof the striker behind the ribs of the socket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the twocomponents of the catch of the present invention attached to the doorand body of a refrigerator,

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the catch in the locked position.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are respectively a plan view, side elevation and endelevation of the striker of the catch shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIGS. 6 to 8 are-respectively a side elevation, front elevation and planview of the socket portion of the catch shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIGS. 1 and 2 a catch isindicated generally at 10 which comprises two components, a striker 11and a socket 12. Both the striker 11 and the socket 12 are preferablyinjection moulded from a suitable synthetic plastics material such as anacetal resin.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the striker 11 is shown attached to a door 13 of arefrigerator and the socket 12 is shown attached to the body 14 of therefrigerator. The body 14 of the refrigerator is normally provided witha bracket 15 having a slot 16 enabling the body 14 of the refrigeratorto be bolted to the floor when the refrigerator is being transported. Itmay be necessary to bolt the refrigerator to the floor when therefrigerator is being temporarily transported or if the refrigerator isinstalled in a caravan or trailer.

It will be understood that the refrigerator will be provided with aconventional handle operated catch to close the door and this is notshown. This type of handle operated catch is liable to becomeaccidentally dislodged allowing the door to open if it is subjected toheavy vibration and the purpose of the catch 10 is to provide a safetycatch which can be applied when the refrigerator is likely to besubjected to heavy vibration.

The striker 11 of the catch 10 comprises an elongate body 17 havingrounded, convexly curved side surfaces 18 and 19 formed with shoulders20 and 21 respectively. The body 17 of the striker 11 is also formedwith a recess 23 and a through bore 22. The striker is attached to thedoor 13 by a screw 24 which passes through the bore 22 into a threadedbore 25 in the door 13. The screw 24 can only be tightened home in thethreaded bore 25 to an extent which, while normally holding the strikerfrictionally in position will allow the striker 11 to be manuallyrotated.

The socket 12 comprises a substantially flat body portion 26 having anelongate hole 27 enabling it to be attached to the bracket 15 with theaid of a screw 28 which passes through the bracket and into therefrigerator body 14. The body portion 26 is formed with a flange 29along one edge, which flange locates against an edge of the bracket 15to prevent the socket 12 from rotating relative to the bracket 15.

Projecting outwardly from the plate 26 are two upstanding walls 30 and31 which are similar and which lie approximately in parallel planes.Provided at the outer ends of the walls 30, 31 are a pair of inwardlyextending facing ribs 32 and 33 respectively which form a restrictedneck or entry to the space between the walls 30 and 31.

As can be seen best from FIGS. 3, 4 and 8, the maximum distance abetween the shoulders 20,21 of the striker is greater than the distanceb between the ribs 32, 33 of the socket but less than the distance cbetween the walls 30, 31 of the socket and the length d of the sidesurfaces l8, l9 (i.e., the width of the striker) is substantially lessthan the distance b between the ribs 32, 33.

If the refrigerator on which the catch is mounted is in normal use, thenthe striker 11 is manually rotated 50 that it is oriented vertically andcan pass freely between the ribs 32, 33 on the walls 30, 31 of thesocket 12. If, however, it is desired to hold the door permanentlyclosed in a manner which will withstand heavy vibration, then thestriker is rotated manually through 90 so that it is orientedhorizontally and is a snap fit between the walls 30 and 31. The door 13is then closed and the striker is forced between the ribs 32 and 33,opening the walls 30 and 31 outwardly and then seating between the arms.When the striker is pressed fully home between the walls 30 and 31shoulders 20, 21 engaged behind the ribs 32 and 33 to retain the strikerwithin the socket. In order to open the door, a strong pull has to beapplied to the door to withdraw the striker from the socket.

It will be seen that the catch 10 provides a quick and easy way oflocking a door in the closed position against heavy vibration andrattling which can easily be rendered inoperative for normal opening andclosing of the door.

Further minor modifications can be made to the above describedembodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionwhich is best described in the following claims.

What we claim is:

l. A catch comprising a striker and a socket adapted to receive thestriker, the striker comprising a base adapted to be mounted on asupport and a pair of oppositely outwardly facing side surfaces of equallength,

each surface being formed witha shoulder, the socketcomprising a flat,substantially planar base adapted to be mounted on a support and twoupstanding resilient walls extending from one surface of the base andarranged generally in parallel spaced relationship to each other, eachwall being formed with an inwardly projecting rib thereon which isspaced from said one surface of the socket base, the distance betweenthe shoulders of the striker being greater than the distance between theribs of the socket but less than the distance between the walls of thesocket and the length of the side surfaces of the striker beingsubstantially less than the distance between the ribs of the socketwhereby the striker can pass freely between the ribs of the socket tosubstantially the full depth thereof when the side surfaces of thestriker are aligned generally at right angles to the walls of the socketand whereby the striker is a force fit between the walls of the socketwhen the side surfaces of the striker are aligned generally in parallelwith the walls of the socket and when forced therebetween is retainedtherein by engagement of the shoulders of the striker behind the ribs ofthe socket.

2. A catch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said side surfaces of thestriker are convexly curved.

3. A catch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the striker and the socket areinjection moulded from a synthetic plastics material.

4. A catch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base of the striker andthe base of the socket are each formed with a through bore adapted toreceive a fastening member for mounting the striker and the socket re-.

spectively on a support.

5. A catch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base of tion of the socketrelative to the support.

1. A catch comprising a striker and a socket adapted to receive thestriker, the striker comprising a base adapted to be mounted on asupport and a pair of oppositely outwardly facing side surfaces of equallength, each surface being formed with a shoulder, the socket comprisinga flat, substantially planar base adapted to be mounted on a support andtwo upstanding resilient walls extending from one surface of the baseand arranged generally in parallel spaced relationship to each other,each wall being formed with an inwardly projecting rib thereon which isspaced from said one surface of the socket base, the distance betweenthe shoulders of the striker being greater than the distance between theribs of the socket but less than the distance between the walls of thesocket and the length of the side surfaces of the striker beingsubstantially less than the distance between the ribs of the socketwhereby the striker can pass freely between the ribs of the socket tosubstantially the full depth thereof when the side surfaces of thestriker are aligned generally at right angles to the walls of the socketand whereby the striker is a force fit between the walls of the socketwhen the side surfaces of the striker are aligned generally in parallelwith the walls of the socket and when forced therebetween is retainedtherein by engagement of the shoulders of the striker behind the ribs ofthe socket.
 2. A catch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said sidesurfaces of the striker are convexly curved.
 3. A catch as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the striker and the socket are injection moulded from asynthetic plastics material.
 4. A catch as claimed in claim 2, whereinthe base of the striker and the base of the socket are each formed witha through bore adapted to receive a fastening member for mounting thestriker and the socket respectively on a support.
 5. A catch as claimedin claim 1, wherein the base of the socket has an edge formed with aflange extending outwardly of the base in the opposite sense to the saidwalls, the flange being adapted to engage an edge of a support on whichthe socket is mounted to resist rotation of the socket relative to thesupport.